5 Things Nobody Tells You About Home Renovation (But You Should Know!)

Doing a renovation in your home is a great way to add some equity into your house or to create a space that is more enjoyable to you. However, while a home renovation project can be exiting (especially the end result!) there are still portions of a home renovation project you may not be aware of. Before you sign a contract with a contractor or before you start tackling a DIY project on your own, here are the five things nobody tells you about home renovation that you should definitely know.

1.It’s messy.

It doesn’t matter if you’re tackling a big project or a small project, all home renovation projects end up messy. Obviously, the size of the mess will depend on the size of the project, but you’ll need to know that the mess will occur, and it will travel, no matter how hard you try to contain it. For instance, if your project requires you to either take down walls or add in walls, you can rest assured the drywall dust or sawdust will linger in your home for a few weeks after the renovation project is complete. This is because these small particles get inside the vents of your home and travel throughout the air. Some homeowners opt to use a professional cleaning service. According to amazoncleaning.net, “Hiring a professional cleaner after a home renovation project can help create a cleaner environment for you and your family.”

2.It usually exceeds the timeline.

While you can prepare your home improvement project timeline as detailed as you can get it, it’s important to know that these projects often exceed the timeline. The reason? Incidentals. For instance, your home improvement project may contain doing a certain design project, but once you remove flooring, you may find that the subfloor has water damage that needs to be fixed, or you may find bad electrical behind a wall you take down. All of these incidental instances will only push back your timeline. If you have a specific date you need a project done by, then it’s important for you to move up your start date significantly to ensure you have enough time to do everything you want to do.

3.It usually exceeds budget.

Having a home improvement budget is important, but it’s also important for you to include an additional 10-20% to that budget. This extra padding in your budget allows for you to cover the cost of these incidentals as they arise. If you don’t have this padding built into your budget, you’ll find that you spend far more than you planned. However, adding this in can keep your project within budget. Another tip is to keep a running total of your budget as you spend. This way, you will have a basic understanding of where you are as the project goes on and you won’t be surprised when the project is over, and invoices need to be paid.

4.It’s not as easy as TV makes it seem.

There are plenty of home improvement TV shows that are popular, and these shows have some homeowners thinking that certain projects are easy to do on your own. However, what these shows don’t often show is the additional work that goes on when the cameras are off and the additional experts who come in to do the work. Just because a TV shows makes you feel like you can renovate your entire kitchen in three days doesn’t mean you should have that as your timeline. Instead, you’ll need to take the time to talk to professionals, get a variety of quotes, and do all the research you can do to have a better understanding of the reality of your project.

5.It’s stressful.

Even if you’re taking on a small home improvement project, you’ll be amazed at the amount of stress that comes with it. And the stress comes from a variety of things:

Maintaining budget

Maintaining timeline

Disruption to your life/schedule

Maintaining relationships with contractors

Project not going to plan

Before you start a home renovation project, it’s very important for you to understand what you’re getting into and that there may be some stress involved. Knowing this ahead of time will help you find ways to reduce the stress during the project.

Home improvement projects can bring joy when it’s over, but the process is something you really need to understand. By familiarizing yourself with all these things nobody tells you, you can better prepare yourself for what’s really to come.